Oil paint remains wet longer than many other types of artists' materials and it is difficult and cumbersome to transport wet canvasses and paintings without jeopardizing the integrity of the art work. Thus, numerous devices for carrying and hauling canvasses and framed art work have been developed and are known in the art.
Many of these carrier devices however have several disadvantages and are inadequate for a variety of reasons. For example, carriers known in the art are often bulky. Others may require assembly and do not allow a user to paint on the canvas while the canvas is mounted on the easel.
Still yet, other carrier devices are limited in that they provide a means of transferring only one or a maximum of two canvasses at a time.
Carriers for transporting canvasses and framed art include a device known as the “Wet Canvas Carrier”. A potential drawback in the use of The “Wet Canvas Carrier” is that it does not allow the artist to paint on the canvas while the device is in use. A further disadvantage is that the wet canvas must therefore be manipulated in order to utilize the carrier thereby increasing the likelihood of damaging the artistic integrity of the work.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,838 to Malamud for a “Carrier for a Framed Canvas” discloses a carrier that provides a means of transporting one or two framed canvasses at one time. A disadvantage in using the Malamud carrier is that if the canvasses need to be set down during transportation for one reason or another, the carrier would detach and thereafter need to be reattached. This is inconvenient and burdensome. In addition, the Malamud carrier can not be used while the artist is painting on a canvas mounted on an easel.
Other carriers include, U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,031 to Shapiro for “Carrier for Artists' Canvasses”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,119 to Messmore for a “Carrying Case”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,498 to Miller for a “Carrier for Framed Art Works” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,504 to MacHose for a “Carrier for Transporting Paintings and Other Substantially Planar Work”.
The carriers thus disclosed however are bulky and larger than the canvasses they carry. They also do not allow the artist to paint on the canvas while it is mounted on an easel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,771 to Sullivan discloses a “Carrier for Paintings” which is characterized by a box-like frame having an open front, a closed back and fitted with spacers for spacing the drawing or painted canvas surface from the closed rear panel of the frame. This carrier, although not bulky and burdensome, does not allow the artist to paint on the canvas while it is mounted on an easel or transport more than one canvas at a time with either hand.
A “Device for Carrying Artworks” is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,147 to Watson. The device includes a base for receiving the artwork and at least two adjustable clamps for clamping respective opposite edges of the artwork. A disadvantage of this device is that it is limited to transporting one artwork at a time with either hand.
It would be advantageous to have a carrier for securing and transporting one or more framed art or canvasses at one time with either hand and a carrier that is also able to secure multiple canvasses in a side by side configuration for transportation and also allows an artist to paint on one or more canvasses while the canvasses are mounted on one or more easels.